I think Great Escape ran very poorly for only one season before it was retrofitted. Schweitzer resort went through a bankruptcy around the time Great Escape lift was built, as both the problems with the lift, an expensive new lodge and an ownership family legal fight were going on around same time. I’d bet any pictures were few and most likely lost due to the mess then.
It was installed in 1990 and retrofitted in 1996. It running poorly wouldn’t surprise me as we all know how Yan HSQ’s were. I’m beginning to wonder what the future holds for this lift, it runs summer and winter and has a lot of hours on it.
Schweitzer has been in contact suppliers to refit a new driveline into the lift but I haven’t heard if they are going to do anything or if anyone wants to touch that mess, considering the age of the lift and that it serves a new mountain top restaurant the resort would be better off replacing it with a chodola or six pack.
Schweitzer could truly have an amazing ski train from Spokane, as the Amtrak Empire Builder goes nonstop from Spokane to Sandpoint and back every single day. Unfortunately, in classic Amtrak fashion, the outbound train to Schweitzer departs at 1:25 am, arriving at 2:30 am, while the return departs at 11:50 pm, arriving at 1:40 am.
For a few years (between when great escape and basin were installed) the fastest way from the base to the top of chair 1/lakeview was probably to ride great escape, ski to the chair 1 mid load and hop on there. That’s just funny to me. Imagine waving goodbye to your friend at the base as they hop on chair 1, and then greeting them when they get to the top.
So translating Schweitzer’s master plan to Google Maps, I’d say that if/when the plan is built out, the mountain will have two additional high speed quads for certain. The lift out of the second base area will be a high speed quad with a half mid-station and one-lift access to the Outback Bowl via the upper station, and I think the Little Blue lift will be one too because of its 6,200 foot length. Sunnyside will probably be either a fixed grip quad or high speed quad, and the learning lift at base area 2 will likely be either a fixed grip quad or a triple chairlift.
Agree on Little Blue, though I suspect they’ll be cautious with chair spacing to limit capacity.
As for Sunnyside, that proposed alignment really mystifies me. The base terminal is situated in this no man’s land between the existing base and new base, accessible solely from above but no longer from the old base (if the map is to be believed). Moreover, it enables you to lap only Quicksilver in its entirety. I truly don’t understand the point. Why would you not move the base terminal closer Great Escape so you have two distinct ways of getting over to Outback from there, if only for redundancy?
Because that wouldn’t match the fall line. You have to take a cat track over to Chair 4 (Sunnyside) but it’s completely fine. The lift is mostly for race training (on Loophole Loop) anyway.
Lines at Schweitzer are nonexistent outside of holiday Saturdays. It can get a little crowded in the village, but that doesn’t usually impact the skiing.
Yeah they probably will be. A lot of locals are very mad about Schweitzer joining Ikon also. Look at the comments on Schweitzer’s Instagram you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Rumor has it that serious plans for the new daylodge and parking below Musical Chairs are currently in development for construction starting as soon as this summer. They need it––Sunday was the first 100% park-out (including the roundabout and Red Barn lots) that I recall in my 24 years of skiing Schweitzer.
I work at Schweitzer, rumor around the resort is the parking lot and new day lodge are cancelled ala Crystal after the buyout. Obviously Crystal got what they planned pre-buyout in a way but I doubt there will be any new parking or lodges at Schweitzer for the time being. Really unfortunate, and pretty typical of giant corpo buyouts like Vail but most employees and local skiiers are just relieved it WASN’T Vail that bought them. OPs are basically the same, just budgets being squeezed. Whats new though.
Hmm… last I heard earlier this year, engineering work on Schweitzer Creek Village (the new base area and parking) was still underway and actually restarting from a multi-year pause. Hopefully we’ll see what’s up in the next few weeks when Tom releases an end-of-season message. Can’t say this wasn’t a great season.
Lift Blog 
Cedar Park Express’s chair spacing suggests a 2,400 pph.
LikeLike
Great Escape is a Yan/Doppelmayr HSQ, can’t find any pre-retrofit pics anywhere
LikeLike
I think Great Escape ran very poorly for only one season before it was retrofitted. Schweitzer resort went through a bankruptcy around the time Great Escape lift was built, as both the problems with the lift, an expensive new lodge and an ownership family legal fight were going on around same time. I’d bet any pictures were few and most likely lost due to the mess then.
LikeLike
It was installed in 1990 and retrofitted in 1996. It running poorly wouldn’t surprise me as we all know how Yan HSQ’s were. I’m beginning to wonder what the future holds for this lift, it runs summer and winter and has a lot of hours on it.
LikeLike
Schweitzer has been in contact suppliers to refit a new driveline into the lift but I haven’t heard if they are going to do anything or if anyone wants to touch that mess, considering the age of the lift and that it serves a new mountain top restaurant the resort would be better off replacing it with a chodola or six pack.
LikeLike
Switching to Hall tires from Doppelmayr has increased traction plate grip and reduced spacing faults significaly.
LikeLike
Hall tires?? Where would they get 30 year old hall tires from?
LikeLike
I agree, Hall tires???
LikeLike
Schweitzer could truly have an amazing ski train from Spokane, as the Amtrak Empire Builder goes nonstop from Spokane to Sandpoint and back every single day. Unfortunately, in classic Amtrak fashion, the outbound train to Schweitzer departs at 1:25 am, arriving at 2:30 am, while the return departs at 11:50 pm, arriving at 1:40 am.
LikeLike
For a few years (between when great escape and basin were installed) the fastest way from the base to the top of chair 1/lakeview was probably to ride great escape, ski to the chair 1 mid load and hop on there. That’s just funny to me. Imagine waving goodbye to your friend at the base as they hop on chair 1, and then greeting them when they get to the top.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I miss it. 😢
LikeLike
I miss it too. Those were good times.
LikeLike
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1-Ktal-1vO1NrW-a79V0V-PxqZneJwOWz&usp=sharing
So translating Schweitzer’s master plan to Google Maps, I’d say that if/when the plan is built out, the mountain will have two additional high speed quads for certain. The lift out of the second base area will be a high speed quad with a half mid-station and one-lift access to the Outback Bowl via the upper station, and I think the Little Blue lift will be one too because of its 6,200 foot length. Sunnyside will probably be either a fixed grip quad or high speed quad, and the learning lift at base area 2 will likely be either a fixed grip quad or a triple chairlift.
LikeLike
Agree on Little Blue, though I suspect they’ll be cautious with chair spacing to limit capacity.
As for Sunnyside, that proposed alignment really mystifies me. The base terminal is situated in this no man’s land between the existing base and new base, accessible solely from above but no longer from the old base (if the map is to be believed). Moreover, it enables you to lap only Quicksilver in its entirety. I truly don’t understand the point. Why would you not move the base terminal closer Great Escape so you have two distinct ways of getting over to Outback from there, if only for redundancy?
LikeLike
Because that wouldn’t match the fall line. You have to take a cat track over to Chair 4 (Sunnyside) but it’s completely fine. The lift is mostly for race training (on Loophole Loop) anyway.
LikeLike
So apparently Ikon or whoever it is bought Schweitzer. Don’t know how I feel about that.
LikeLike
They didn’t buy Schweitzer, Schweitzer joined the Ikon pass.
LikeLike
Ahh I see, but I can imagine the lines will be even worse from what they are now.
LikeLike
Lines at Schweitzer are nonexistent outside of holiday Saturdays. It can get a little crowded in the village, but that doesn’t usually impact the skiing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah they probably will be. A lot of locals are very mad about Schweitzer joining Ikon also. Look at the comments on Schweitzer’s Instagram you’ll see what I’m talking about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed, you can still see them today.
LikeLike
Rumor has it that serious plans for the new daylodge and parking below Musical Chairs are currently in development for construction starting as soon as this summer. They need it––Sunday was the first 100% park-out (including the roundabout and Red Barn lots) that I recall in my 24 years of skiing Schweitzer.
LikeLike
I work at Schweitzer, rumor around the resort is the parking lot and new day lodge are cancelled ala Crystal after the buyout. Obviously Crystal got what they planned pre-buyout in a way but I doubt there will be any new parking or lodges at Schweitzer for the time being. Really unfortunate, and pretty typical of giant corpo buyouts like Vail but most employees and local skiiers are just relieved it WASN’T Vail that bought them. OPs are basically the same, just budgets being squeezed. Whats new though.
LikeLike
Hmm… last I heard earlier this year, engineering work on Schweitzer Creek Village (the new base area and parking) was still underway and actually restarting from a multi-year pause. Hopefully we’ll see what’s up in the next few weeks when Tom releases an end-of-season message. Can’t say this wasn’t a great season.
LikeLike